Beyond The Dying Light
by TheBitterSweet
Summary: (Competely AU. Set in a rather dark fantasy, Medieval-ish world.) She once heard that hope was like a candle lightening even the darkest of places. Now it was all she had left and the flame was starting to burn, leaving scars on her hands.
1. Prologue

**Hi :)**

**A few warnings before you start reading, just to be fair. **

**1) This is my first attempt at writing anything and I'm not a native speaker so mistakes are to be expected (feel free to point them out ^^). **

**2) The story will involve very few Glee characters besides Quinn and Rachel, and even then their names will be changed since they don't exactly fit the fantasy world (again with the exeption of the two girls). But worry not - you will definitely recognise them.**

**3) I intent to create a more or less complex world so please be patient with me and the waiting for Q/R :)**

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><p>A pair of hazel eyes was closely observing the streets of Rothspark as the sun has almost set behind the horizon. Some people had already hid in their homes, the rest was preoccupied by their daily activities. Mothers were calling for children, merchants cleaning their stands and the wealthiest lords were headed to the castle. At night it was the safest place in the whole city but could be offered to only few by king Gareth. Natural selection emerged lucky families and of course, the amount of gold in their pockets was a sheer coincidence.<p>

A slightly obese tradesman was picking the rest of a stale bread from his stall when about six-year-old, dark-haired girl ran to him. She was barefooted and the piece of clothing she was wearing looked more like a sack for corn than a dress. She looked at the man with her black eyes and rested her chin on the wooden table.

"Mister merchant Robert! Can I have a piece of bread? A tiny one. My mom was picking up flowers in The Garden to put a bouquet on the table. For my daddy! He's coming back tomorrow from hunting in the woods. I'm sure he'll bring us a lot of tasty meat!"

Amusement appeared in Robert's eyes. He knew very well that the girl lived in The Channels under the city and all you can find there is reek and the poor looking for a bit of safety. Even if a table miraculously appeared there it would be immediately sold in exchange for some food. The Garden was surrounded by a low wall and protected by tens of guards. In springtime only particularly trained gardeners were let in and even those were personally designated by the king. The hunting was a different story though. Sending the poor was the cheapest way to get the commodity. Men who volunteered were given a spear and let out of the city. Most of them never came back but if they managed to survive and catch an animal or at least pick up some fruits, they were allowed to keep a small part of it.

"Ingen, if your father is coming back tomorrow with food why are you begging for bread?"

The girl looked crestfallen for a moment but then started speaking as if it was a prayer learned by heart.

"Because my mom was picking up jasmine and a poisongrub bit her! Now she has a fever and miss Petra - the witch doctor says she has to eat something quickly or she'll die." Ingen's eyes glazed with tears.

"Poisongrub?!" Robert laughed out loud. "Dear Metus! What on the earth is that?"

Ingen straightened up and started to fidget with her dusty hands. "It's… It's a bug. There's many of them in The Garden. I've seen them myself! They're green and it's really hard to notice them in the grass. The have funny eyes and they look friendly but the truth is that they're more dangerous than noctems!"

At the sound of that name a few people who stood nearby moved nervously and reflexively looked up in the sky. It wouldn't get dark in less than 30 minutes. They were safe.

"When they bite you, you start getting hot and turning green… and you have to eat something quickly. That's what miss Petra says and she's a witch doctor!" The girl continued with a smile on her face, clearly proud of herself.

"Ingen, Ingen. If the times were different you could earn a fortune on telling stories. Now, take this loaf and run along before it gets dark."

During their talk a boy not much older than Ingen with hair and eyes just as dark as hers sneaked under the table and stole two apples and a pear. Fruits came from the cellar stocks and didnt't look that great. Robert was a punctilious man who had also no problems with counting so he noticed the lack of a few things right after his first meeting with Ingen. Despite that he never scolded the children. He liked listening to Ingen's stories and decided that a few fruits is a small price to pay for a smile these days.

Hazel eyes followed the running siblings for a few seconds. Their mother is waiting for them around the corner. She will kiss each on the forehead and thank them for the food as always. All three of them will pass old Paul near the entrance to The Channels, the boy will hand him a piece of bread and the old man will look in his eyes silently saying 'thank you'. On the square next to the market priest Vit will give prayers to Metus asking for a night without any victims. Then he'll join the sisters in the temple and bolt the doors. Guards will take their places on the city wall ready for the attack. The rest will hide in their homes or in The Channels and the only movement on the Rothspark streets will be created by the flames of torches. All evenings were almost the same. You could get the impression that only conversation topics differed from each other.

"Fuck this! One night I'll go out and spit these hybrids in their faces. We should've fucking killed them when we still had a chance." Said an old, one-eyed man heading towards his cabin.

"You've been saying that for two years" A man in his 30 shot him an amused look.

"That's because two years ago he run out of his hooch supplies. Now that the alcohol's gone, all he's got left is grumbling. And he's better at it than a woman." Obviously annoyed woman caught up with her husband.

"The king could take care of us and share some rum. He probably swilled all of it when he found out his children died anyway." Murmured the older one.

"I highly doubt you would harm any half-elf with your grumbling. Your voice on the other hand would surely get attention of a few noctems. Maybe you can even persuade them into changing their diet. I would try today, if I were you. There was no attack for two weeks so it's highly possible they will show up soon."

"Oh, shut up, Leo! Go back to scribbling in that notebook of yours. If it wasn't for their beasts those damn crossbreeds wouldn't even dare to stick a finger over the wall." While the old man sped up in irritation, Leo seemed to be highly amused. He didn't hear a response to his 'goodnight' as they both entered their homes.

The voices were subsiding and the pair of hazel eyes noticed their target. A palm clenched richly decorated, silver dagger hilt. Lord Ferris was one of the last who hadn't hidden yet. As he was quickly heading towards the castle the figure wrapped in a gray mantle got out of its hideout. Nimbly and almost silently jumped down from the bell tower to the nearest roof. Before Lord Ferris has gotten to the square in the front of the castle someone grabbed his elbow and rapidly pressed him against the wall so he wasn't facing the attacker. In no time a dagger was at his throat.

"Do you know why you're here?" Whispered a voice in his ear. From this position he could only notice a big hood which made recognizing the face impossible. However, he saw a part of a bracer on the hand holding the weapon. It was gray, decorated in shape of leaves he didn't recognize. Half-elf.

"I don't k…" The dagger was pressed harder against his throat but not hard enough to break the skin. He understood the request. "I don't know" Ferris said in whisper this time. "I left you information about the next hunting in the same place as always. What else do you want from me? Please, don't kill me. I have a wife and kids. I'll get you information about the weapon delivery, the exact number of guards… anything. We have a deal, I beg you!" The man was nearly weeping.

"You seem to have a lot of information."

"I'm the guards administrator. It's my duty to…" Suddenly, a sound of clashing armor was heard above. One of the watchmen was probably nearing to the part of wall Lord Ferris was pushed against. The dagger was quickly gone along with the mysterious figure. Dripping with sweat, he turned around and run towards the castle. The last thing he heard before he disappeared in the entrance was a horrible screech followed by a more delicate scream.

The next day Lord Ferris was found dead.


	2. Chapter 1

_When Gwyn was born a midwife stated that despite her long practice she's never seen such a brisk child. She learned how to walk exceptionally quickly which, considering her enormous curiosity, resulted in countless broken vases and spilled liquids. It took just one look from her blue eyes and an innocent smile to make the anger evaporate. But the real test of patience came when Gwyn learned how to speak. She was able to ask a few questions without taking a breath and expect an equally enthusiastic answer. The only ones that never seemed to be tired of her extraordinary personality were her parents and Derril –their half-elvish servant._

"_Mommy! Mommy!" Screamed a five-year-old girl running into the room. Before she could form a sentence she got distracted by a bird sitting on a windowsill. "Oh, look! Can we keep it? Please? It sings so beautiful."_

_The woman stopped knitting and put Gwyn on her lap. "It does sing beautifully, doesn't it? But I'm afraid that it wouldn't like living here, honey. Animals need freedom." A slight smile formed on her lips. "Did you clean your room?"_

"_Yes! Derril helped me and we played a game. Who can throw more things in the chest wins. I lost." The girl's face showed a trace of sadness. _

"_Lady Jocelyn, your husband's just gotten out of the meeting. He should be here in a few minutes." A slim man appeared in a doorway. His long, black hair was neatly braided showing his slightly pointy ears. Face, like any face of a half-elf not working outside, was pale, contrasting his dark attire. _

„_Derril, look! A bird." Gwyn excitedly pointed at the animal._

_The servant quietly stepped near the window and held his hand out. The bird stopped singing for a second before it gracefully sat on the offered finger. The girl looked at Derril in pure awe and admiration, jumped to her feet and eagerly mirrored Derril's move. The bird however took off and flew out the window._

"_It's not your fault, little one." Derril said quickly seeing that Gwyn's eyes started to water._

"_It's the elf in him. Otherwise the bird would disappear at the sight of his abnormally skinny ass." Said an amused voice from the door._

"_Arthur! Language." Scolded his wife trying to suppress a smile. Gwyn only giggled._

"_Daddy, you're funny."_

"_Of course I am. Someone has to keep the things interesting at the council meetings." His teeth showing in a broad smile. He was young, 30 at most. "Do you want to fly like that bird, little one?" The laughing blond girl run into her fathers opened arms. He easily lifted her and held over his head._

"_Are you afraid of mommy, little birdie?" He took a few slow steps towards his wife._

"_No!" _

"_Let's say hello then." Arthur ran the rest of the distance while hid daughter squealed. "Hello, wife dear." He said kissing her cheek. "Look what I found on the way back. Isn't it the most beautiful bird in the world? And when it starts chirping…" He lowered Gwyn in his arms so she was able to wrap her arms around his neck. "..it never stops!" _

"_Daddy…" The girl tucked her head under her father's chin._

"_You know I love hearing your voice more than any music." He kissed her forehead and seated in her mother's lap. _

"_I'll prepare the table." Derril bowed slightly his head and left the room._

"_Good news? You don't seem as worried as usual after a meeting." The woman embraced her daughter and looked at her husband._

"_Good news indeed. It may be the end of our problems with half-elves. As you know they started leaving the city a few weeks ago but it was too early to make any conclusions. Today there isn't many left and some sources say they finally decided to follow their other nature and create a colony behind the walls."_

"_The half-elves weren't exactly the problem, Arthur. It was the way most of them were treated. Their actions were simply a consequence people should've predicted."_

"_I know, honey. And we should be grateful that they decided to stop the rebellion and find a new way of living because Metus knows that people are stubborn. The fact that such treatment even started is astounding. The elves are probably the most respected creatures on earth!"_

"_Yes... I wish we still had the chance of meeting them. The stories make them sound so utterly fascinating. The elves may be respected but not hybrids trying to blend in. I suppose it's not in human nature to accept variation amongst ourselves. Still, I cannot believe all of those prejudices turned out the way they did! I mean, killing them without any consequences?!" The woman calmed slightly as her husband grabbed her hand and pointed slightly at their daughter._

"_It's a difficult and complex topic, Annie. One that should not be discussed in front of a five-year old."_

_Gwyn was looking from one parent to the other obviously not understanding a thing. Arthur smiled at his daughter and caressed her hair._

"_You won't have to worry about it, little one. All of this is going to end and you won't remember a time when half-elves were found dead on the streets." He got up from his chair and patted his stomach. "I think it's time to eat. May I interest you in some tasty worms, little bird?"_

"_Yuck, daddy. Worms are ugly. And dirty and must not taste good."_

"_How about some fruits then?" The man wriggled his eyebrows._

"_Mummy says fruits are healthy. I like fruits! Let's eat." When they sat at the table it was already dark. The maid put their plates down and poured wine for the parents and juice for Gwyn._

"_Won't Derril eat with us today? I hope he's not feeling bad again." Gwyn's mother took a first bite._

"_Derril! I swear your cooking skills get better every day!" Arthur got no response. "You'd think he'd inherit elves' exceptional hearing."_

"_He's not in the kitchen anymore, sir." Said the maid setting the bowl on the table. A small hand reaching for the apple stopped in the middle as a loud shriek was heard._

_All heads turned towards the window. A man with a torch was looking up the sky, his face showing fear, awe and disbelief all at once. What happened after that was a blur. Gwyn remembered her father going out to see what was going on, then the door and a part of a roof being ripped apart, throwing him inside._

"_Run!" Screamed her dad, his hand covered in red liquid. Gwyn was paralyzed. A creature twice as big as a horse was trying to get in. It's wide wings ended with a single claw destroyed the wooden walls with ease, as if they were made of paper. The throat and teeth covered in venom were as black as the rest of its body. Except for the eyes. The eyes were so light they seemed to be glowing in the dark._

_Jocelyn grabbed her daughter and ran towards the trapdoor. "Get in! Get in! We have to be quiet. Don't cry, it's all going to be-" The rest of the sentence died in her throat as a claw pierced her stomach._

"_Nooo! No!" Arthur was screaming on top of his lungs drawing the attention of the beast back to him. Gwyn fell down on the floor of a cellar, her mother landing on her. _

"_Mommy! Mommy, please." The tears were falling down the girl's face as she managed to turn her mother on her back. "Mommy?"_

"_It's ok, Gwyn." The woman coughed a little blood. "You have to close the trapdoor. And… and stay quiet no matter what. Don't look." Her breathing got erratic as she watched her daughter climb the steps._

_The girl grabbed the handle as quickly as possible and pulled the door down. The last thing she saw before crawling back to her mother weeping was the beast ripping the meat from her father's body. He didn't scream anymore._

"_Mommy… " Gwyn crawled back to the woman on the floor wrapping her hands around her mother's neck. The blood was everywhere._

"_You need to… Quiet. Don't cry."_

"Gwyn! Get the hell up girl! The dinner won't prepare itself." Gwyn slowly opened her eyes, cold sweat on her forehead.

_Quiet. Don't cry._ Those were the last words she heard from her mother. Some people found her clinging to the body two or three days later, covered in blood. It took two of them to separate her from the older woman. She screamed, she kicked and fought, but she never cried.

"I've run out of the herb mix and of course the king chose to have wild boar on dinner. You need to go to the market and get some. Maybe you'll convince that fat bastard to finally share the recipe. And hurry, the sun is setting down!" The cook smacked Gwyn's head with a clout.

"But.."

"There is no but, girl! Do it quickly! I have no time for your nonsense." He got back to chopping vegetables not paying attention to Gwyn's protests.

"But it's right next…" Her voice died down as she got up and clenched her fists. She could do this, she wasn't five anymore. Getting a sympathetic look from one of the cook's helpers she went out the door. It took her five minutes to get through well memorized corridors and reach the open gate. Three years spent in the castle as a servant were enough for her to know her way in this maze of corridors.

The streets were almost empty as Gwyn ran as fast as she could. She got to the place where merchant Robert's stand always stood, now empty. The girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the decision already made. She still remembered the bruises she had for weeks after the last time she didn't do what was asked of her. Turning slightly to the right she felt the chill running down her back. There it was. Her old home, now rebuild in stone but looking almost exactly the same as she remembered. With a shaking hand she knocked on the door and after a few seconds a surprised man appeared.

"Dear Metus! What are you doing here this late?"

"I…" Gwyn gulped and got hold of her shaking voice. "I came for the herbs."

"Have they gone mad making children run around at this hour?! Come in and wait for a second." Robert went into her old room, which was now apparently his pantry.

Gwyn's eyes locked on the trapdoor in the next room. Anxiety crawled under her skin as the images from her dreams became more vivid, gaining details and invading her senses. She remembered. The sticky, red pool of blood and the smell of urine mixed with something she's never smelled before. She remembered weeping quietly for hours, clinging to her mother's body as it became more and more stiff. She remembered scaring away the rats that were drawn to the body for the reasons she didn't want to think about. She remembered praying and wishing hundreds of times to wake up. She remembered…

"Hey! Girl!" Merchant Robert was waving his hand in front of her. "Are you alright?" His concerned gaze fell on her pale face.

Gwyn clenched her fists tighter, nails almost breaking the skin. She wouldn't cry. "Yes." She showed the man a piece of paper confirming she was working for the king, took the herbs and run out of the house.

There wasn't much time before the gates to the castle were closed. Legs were carrying her as fast as possible, the wall on her left becoming a blur. The girl stopped in her tracks when she noticed two figures right in front of her, one of them holding a dagger to a man's throat. Gwyn quickly hid behind one of barrels standing nearby, calming her breath. _The other way, I have to go the other way. _As she was about to get up she heard movement and fading footsteps of a running person. She didn't acknowledge someone has come up to her until she saw two shoes right next to her hand. Shoes that looked almost exactly the same as those that Derril had gotten from his half-elvish mother.

The bag with the herbs was left forgotten as Gwyn bolted from her spot. She turned left into another alley leading to the castle only to see the guards preparing to close the gates and a man running towards them. _No! Nononono_. _The Channels. _She turned around ready to run but froze to the spot. Two bright eyes were locked on her as one of the beasts landed with a thud a few houses from her. And then the sound. She heard it many times from the castle but never this close, not since that night. Gwyn didn't ever realize she was screaming until a hand covered her mouth; a body much taller and stronger holding her in place.

"There's no use in running." A sound of smooth, female voice reached her from above.

She should be struggling, panicking or at least be petrified with fear as she felt slight vibrations going through her body with each step the noctem took. Yet, her heart wasn't beating furiously, hands weren't shaking and her breathing was slowly getting steady after all the running. Her mind was completely blank, everything was distant as if she wasn't even there, surroundings became foggy and all the noises somehow transformed into a whisper. It felt warm. It felt safe. _Is that how dying feels?_

The black demon, as some people called them, was getting closer. Slowly, it made the last few steps and rested on its front claws, lowering the head. The smell reached Gwyn's nose and she felt like thousand needles stung her all over the body. Like a fitting puzzle to her dream, it brought the memory back. Her pulse quickened as she waited. Three heartbeats, four, five… She could hear them as if her heart was right between her ears, yet nothing happened. Blue eyes dared to look up and stilled on a reached out hand resting lightly on a monstrous head. After a few seconds she felt huge waves of air as the beast spread its wings and lifted of the ground.

"Quickly, follow me." Gwyn didn't even have the time to react, she was being dragged behind the half-elf. They entered The Channels through some grid and the next thing she knew they were outside the city. When the half-elf let go of her hand Gwyn became aware of her surroundings. It felt like she regained her mind and a wave of emotions hit her from the inside. Here she was, outside the walls for the first time in three years, in hands of a half-elves.

"Don't be scared, I'm not going to hurt you." The voice was soothing yet Gwyn felt the anger boiling, masking the fear she felt. _Liar! _She took a few steps back.

"I'm not scared of you! You… You hybrid! " She grabbed a small stone and threw it with all the force she could muster but it was avoided with ease. The next one she grabbed was much bigger and heavier. She wasn't going to get taken and killed without a fight. Gwyn knew where to hit, she's seen multiple soldier trainings. _"There are situations when you're left with no weapon. Listen carefully you idiots 'cause one day it may save your pitiful lives! Besides face there are a few points you want to hit. One of them is the liver, giving it a proper blast will not only cause pain but trouble with breathing and standing straight. It's on the lower right side of your ribs. Try hitting it on a dummy. Sam! I said on YOUR right side, that means you hit the left side of a dummy! Bunch of idiots, girl, eh?" _Just three quick steps and aim for the liver, when she bends hit the head. Her hand trembled slightly, there was no time for thinking.

"You're not going to take me alive, I'll…" Blackness.

"_Daddy!" Big hopeful eyes were looking around the room. _

"_Your parents are at the birthday party in the castle." She got lifted and came to face with a kind stare of those familiar brown eyes. Derril was always there to ease the anxious feeling that was the fear of being left alone. _

_When her parents weren't around Gwyn gained more freedom, so she was either finding ways to climb the kitchen cabinets and reach her favourite cookies, or discovering other essential to her existence information. Like the fact that the vase would fall down if she tried to pull out the pretty blue flower, just to always have this wonderful smell with her. Or that cats didn't really share her excitement for tail pulling but if you petted them carefully, they could make sounds that made her giggle and warm inside._

_In those adventures she often found herself in rather unwanted situations. Fortunately, Derril was always there in the right time, whether it came to fixing the damages she left behind or saving her from a fall._

"_It's already dark outside. We should get you to your bed, isn't that right, little one?"_

"_No!" The girl shook her head. "No sleepy!"_

"_It's never sleepy with you." Derril let out an amused chuckle. "How about a story? I'll tell you a story and then you'll go to bed. Is that a deal, Gwyn?"_

"_Yes, story!" _

"_Well, what do wish to hear about?" They got to the window. A few men were lazily lighting up torches, so most of the streets were still covered in darkness. It was a perfect time for pickpocketers and for watching stars. "Do you know what these are? Up, up above?" His eyes stilled on girl's curious face._

"_Pretty!" Gwyn reached out her hand, wanting to touch, feel, to grab tiny lights._

"_You can't touch the stars, Gwyn." Derril's face turned towards the dark sky. "For years people believed that their god was watching them through his one eye, giving them light and warmness but guarding them at the same time. At night when he rested, he sent out his helpers to do the job for him. That's what stars were supposed to be – eyes of little gods and goddesses. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of them looking down at our every move." Gwyn's hand tightened the hold on his shirt, the girl looked frightened._

"_Nobody believes that now, there's no reason to be afraid, Gwyn. And even if it was true, a polite lady like you has nothing to hide." Derril's gentle smile eased her worries. "My mother said that my grandfather laughed when she asked him if stars were bigger than the castle. He said that stars are larger than anything she could imagine, that they only seem so small because they're so far away, that even if you had the fastest horse, one hundred lifetimes wouldn't be enough to get there. He also said that stars are one of the sources of life, isn't that beautiful?"_

_The girl looked completely confused. Derril laughed lightly at first but his eyes got visibly sad. "Don't worry, little one. I don't understand it either."_

The sunlight reached Gwyn's face tickling her cheeks with it's warm touch. Slowly regaining her senses she waited to smell the dampness and watery oatmeal boiling a few meters away from her bedding. Instead there was fresh, clean air and sounds of chirping birds. Slowly opening her eyes she saw a pool of green. The panic set in within seconds as the girl recalled the events of last night.

"Don't be scared. I promise no harm will come to you." The girl tried turning her head to see the owner of than smooth voice but her muscles didn't listen. "I had to put you unconscious, you should regain your strength in a few minutes. I'm sorry for that." There was a short pause. "I'm also sorry for controlling you yesterday, it was the only solution I could think of at the time."

"What are you going to do with me?" Gwyn could only slightly move her fingers.

"There are some berries to your left, you should eat them to recover fully. I'll take you back to the city in about two hours, when… when the streets are cleaned up." _Is this a trap? _The female half-elf couldn't just rescue her and let her go, could she?

"Why? Why would you do that?" Gwyn's voice came out more accusatory then she intended. The gray mantle came into her view.

"Why would I not? It's your home, isn't it?" The figure seemed to be observing the sunrise, her voice completely void of emotions. Only now Gwyn noticed the oddness of the accent.

"I'm human." With trembling muscles the girl lifted herself slowly to a sitting position. What seemed obvious to her, apparently wasn't for the stranger as the only answer she got was a quiet hum. "I'm not stupid! You may have saved me but you wouldn't do it if you didn't have a reason. You're not going to get any information out of me. I don't have any and even if I did, I would never sell it to a crossbreed!" Gwyn didn't know where the courage has come from considering the stories she heard at the castle. Men ambushed by half-elves often preferred to end their own lives then be taken alive. She has only seen one man who was released on purpose, stinking of feces and urine with eyes of a madman as he was carried by two guards through corridors of the castle. The rumor said getting anything out of him was impossible, he simply didn't utter a word.

The figure turned around and slowly reached the big leaf with berries on top, moving it closer to the smaller girl.

"I'm not a half-elf." With hesitation, a delicate, pale hand pulled the hood down uncovering the face. Gwyn gasped, her eyes going wide meeting the hazel orbs. Blonde hair cut just below the jaw went perfectly with the pale skin and the most beautiful features she's ever seen but more importantly, it partially covered the ears, which were visibly more pointy than she remembered Derril having.

"I'm…" Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper.

"You're an elf." The amazement in Gwyn's voice made her sentence sound more like a question. The taller blonde answered her with a melancholic smile witch somehow matched her eyes.

"I'm Quinn."

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><p><strong>Big surprise there, I know :D<strong>

**Anyway, I'm sorry it took me so long - I'm not even going to try to explain myself. Next chapters should finally concentrate more on the main characters, promise. I hope you enjoyed :)**


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